Vanderbilt (11-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. West Georgia (5-4, 0-0 A-SUN)
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 • 11 a.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+ • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team will be home for the holidays, as the Commodores begin a season-long four-game homestand on Saturday with a contest against West Georgia. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m., and streams live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> It is a short turnaround for the Commodores, as Vandy collected an 80-66 victory at Dayton Thursday night to improve to 11-1 on the year. Sophomore Madison Greene scored a career-high 25 points off the bench in a return trip to her home state. Sophomore Khamil Pierre, a reigning USBWA National Player of the Week, posted her ninth double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Flyers. Freshman Mikayla Blakes continued her hot streak with a 16-point performance, while senior Iyana Moore’s 14-point performance put her in a tie for 35th on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list.
>> Saturday’s contest opens a season-long four-game homestand for the Commodores. Vanderbilt takes on West Georgia and Alabama A&M (Dec. 29) to close out the nonconference portion of the 2024-25 season. Vandy concludes the homestand with Georgia (Jan. 2) and Kentucky (Jan. 5) during the first week of the new year to open SEC play.
>> Vanderbilt is 31-3 at Memorial Gym vs. non-SEC teams under head coach Shea Ralph. The Commodores have won 18-straight home games against nonconference teams, a streak that dates back to the 2022-23 campaign. Overall, Vandy is 44-13 against nonconference schools in the Ralph era.
>> The Commodores stand at 11-1 through their first 12 games for the second-straight season. It is the first time the Dores have opened back-to-back seasons at 11-1 or better since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns. Vanderbilt comes into Saturday seeking a second-straight 13-1 start, as Vandy began the 2023-24 season at 16-1.
>> Vanderbilt and West Georgia will meet on the hardwood for the first time. The Wolves are transitioning from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I this season.
Game Coverage
Saturday’s contest against West Georgia streams live on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app, with Andrew Allegretta and Drew Maddux calling the action. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
Gameday Information
Click the link here for the latest gameday information on entrance, construction, parking, and ticketing information at Memorial Gymnasium. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.
Holiday Hoops
Celebrate the holidays with Vanderbilt women’s basketball! Fans will receive a free Vanderbilt holiday hat while supplies last. Be sure to stop by the Hall of Champions for a git chocolate bar! Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt enters the weekend holding a NET ranking of 13. The Commodores came in at No. 7 in the first NET ranking of the 2024-25 season, the highest NET ranking in program history. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to determine seeding and at-large bids.
Receiving Votes
The Dores earned 14 votes in this week’s Associate Press Top 25 Poll and 11 votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. It marks the third-straight week that Vanderbilt has been featured in both major women’s college basketball polls.
Maddie’s Homecoming
Sophomore Madison Greene had a memorable return trip to her home state of Ohio, as she scored a career-high 25 points off the bench against at Dayton on Dec. 19. Greene is the first Dore to score at least 25 points in a reserve role since Erin Whalen’s 25-point performance vs. No. 10-ranked South Carolina on Jan. 18, 2018.
Bringing the Defense
Vandy has been one of the best defensive teams in the nation through the first month-plus of the season. The Commodores rank inside the top 30 in all of NCAA Division I in turnover margin (5th; 11.7), turnovers forced per game (11th; 25.1), and points allowed (19th; 53.8). Vanderbilt has forced teams into 20 or more turnovers in every game this season. Vandy’s season-high 36 turnovers forced vs. Evansville on Dec. 14 is tied for the seventh-most in a game in program history.
Pierre’s Streak
Sophomore Khamil Pierre enters Saturday’s game on a 14-game double-digit scoring streak dating back to last season. It is her career’s longest double-digit scoring streak, as the 6-2 forward is averaging 20.1 points per game during the stretch.
Moore Climbing Up Vandy’s All-Time Scoring List
Senior Iyana Moore has scored 1,039 points at Vanderbilt, which puts her in a tie at No. 39 on the school’s all-time scoring list with Chelsie Hall (2018-21). Moore is 10 points behind Abi Ramsey (1,049 points) for 34th on the list and 17 points behind Liz Sherwood (1,056 points) for 33rd.
Scouting West Georgia
The Wolves are in the midst of their first season at the NCAA Division I level, transitioning from NCAA Division II. West Georgia stands at 5-4 on the year and collected a 63-46 win at Alabama State on Wednesday.
Freshman Destiny Jones paces UWG at 13.4 points per game. The 5-9 guard has scored double-digit points in all but one game this season, as she has scored 20-plus points in each of her last two games. Jones also leads the Wolves in rebounding at 7.2 caroms per game. Senior Zuriyah Davis is also putting up double-digit points at 12.8 points per game this season.
West Georgia is averaging 66.7 points per game through nine contests this season. The Wolves are shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, UWG is allowing teams to score 62.9 points per contest. Foes are shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from behind the arc.
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